More stricter clauses have been added to an internal by law, aimed at disciplining police in Shanghai and maintaining its efficiency and good public image. The law now also provides tougher punishment for police violations, local public security officials said Wednesday.
The officials made the pledge at a news briefing marking the fifth anniversary of the founding of its internal supervisory force.
The amended terms will impose punishment for 10 new violations, including unauthorized entering an intra-police network to give false tips, playing the stock market, joining cults and receiving heterosexual massage, according to Zhao Delin of the discipline department of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau.
Zhao added that punishment for extortion, putting off missions, poor control over arms and eight other violations will be tougher than before.
"In the past five years, the intramural force has dug out more than 28,000 problems, such as improper use of police cars," said Yao Zhirong, a vice secretary of the bureau's discipline department.
A total of 610 cases were related to violation of bylaws, with 82 officers suspended.
But the supervisory force also met with some unexpected difficulties.
"We received more than 3,000 tips wrongly indicting police officers," said Yao. "A total of 139 local residents, who hindered police mission and framed officers, have been penalized."
"Our self-improvement work is fairly good, and really works," said bureau spokeswoman Yang Ye, insisting that the number of police rule breakers and violations in Shanghai have been lower than the national average in recent years. She gave no figures.
(eastday.com June 20, 2002)
